Lucky Charm
by IndonesianElephant
Summary: A businessman and a highschool otaku cross paths, and are stuck together. Literally. Jealousy, love, and heartbreak soon follow. Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, I know the last thing I should be doing is making another story, but this has been in my mind for a while now. It's inspired by an episode of Lucky Star where to characters walk past one another and the charms on their bags hook together. Konata makes a comment that things like that usually happen in dating sims. My first try at Sora and Leon as a pairing, so don't be too harsh on me!**

**Now for some quick notes. The fic is set in Japan, but to save myself and others a lot of confusion, I won't be using very many ****Japanese**** words and slang, unless as a proper noun, or if the moment calls for it. I'll tell you the word and it's definition at the beginning of the chapter it'll be used in. This means you won't see a lot of 'Sora-kun' and 'Leon-chan' in this fic, if at all. I'll be referring to anime, MMORPGs, and videogames a lot, using their ****English**** names if they have one (_Black Butler_ instead of _Kuroshitsuji._)****. But I won't be explaining them every chapter unless it's important to the story—use google if you wanna know that bad.**

**A word I'll often use throughout the story is **_**otaku**_**; a Japanese word basically to describe someone that's obsessed with anime and games and the like. It'd be awkward to have Leon going around saying "Oh, you're an anime-freak!" At least, it seems awkward to me…**

**Another word is **_**shotacon**_**, which is commonly used in reference to a genre of anime/manga that centers around young/young looking boys. It's usually sexual, or with sexual undertones. To be blunt, you could say it's yaoi or hentai with little kids (Or a little kid and an adult, male or female). The version with young girls is **_**lolicon**_**, if I'm not mistaken. If any of this is wrong, please correct me!**

* * *

When Sora walked past, he smelled a musky, earthy scent. Like burning wood and cinnamon. He'd never smelled anything like it. Odd it might have been, but it smelled so nice…

But he didn't get much farther before he felt himself being pulled back by his bag. "What the--?" The brunet's head whipped around, and he was surprised to get yet another noseful of that intoxicating scent.

It was like…like a dating sim, almost. The male love interest would walk by the female, the charms on their bags hooking together. After realizing what had happened they would glance back at one another, the female with a shy smile and a blush, and the male with a sure, gentle smile and eyebrows raised in curiosity. They would reach for their charms at the same time, hands brushing. After gazing into one another's eyes, they would kiss.

"What the hell, kid?!"

...Except this _wasn't_ a dating sim, so Sora only squeaked embarrassingly, and was the only one to reach for the pokemon charm on his school bag. It was tangled with a circular charm, with a witty phrase that Sora wasn't paying too much attention to at the moment. The charm hung off of a briefcase, which struck Sora as a little odd. "I-I'm sorry…" Sora's fingers, usually so nimble, were shaky and clumsy as he tried to undo the knot. "Give me a moment…"

Silence passed between the two as Sora worked at the knot, somehow only making it tighter. He chanced a look up, wanting to gauge the man's level of annoyance, but instead he saw the man's handsome face turned away as he made a call. Apparently, he was apologizing for being late to a meeting, and Sora took this chance to let his eyes trace the man's strong jawline, the scar that ran across the bridge of his nose, the smoky gray eyes…

...Eyes that were now looking _right_ at Sora.

Sora gasped and blushed, embarrassed at being caught, and looked back down quickly at his fumbling fingers.

The man sighed in exasperation, closing his phone and shoving it into the pocket of his slacks. "Let me do it, kid."

Sora, ever obedient, removed his hands while the man leaned down closer to try and make work of the knot. Sora inhaled deeply, enjoying the man's scent.

So it surprised him when, while he was in the middle of inhaling with closed eyes, the man suddenly spoke. "This isn't gonna come out…alright, kid. Follow me."

Sora blinked, then nodded. It didn't matter though, because the man walked ahead, briefcase in hand. This, in turn, pulled Sora along also. He couldn't tell if the man did it on purpose or not.

Eventually, they came to a stop at a large building that Sora recognized as being an apartment complex. "You're lucky that school let out, otherwise you'd be missing it. And don't they have a rule against decorating your bags?" The man grumbled, pulling out a keycard. He flashed it at the blinking light on the door, pulling the door open when it clicked.

"No…at least, I don't think they do…everyone does it anyway." Sora wondered aloud, tapping a finger of his free hand to his chin. Did his school have a rule? They certainly weren't being strict about it…

"So you did it 'cause everyone else did?" The man scoffed. "Typical kid behavior."

This angered Sora. The guy was calling him a kid, and a follower to boot! "I'm not a kid. I'm a young adult, and as a young adult I don't follow crowds." Sora said evenly, fighting the urge to stick his tongue out at the man's back as they entered the elevator. He couldn't help the smirk though when he spoke again, "Doesn't your job have rules against decorating _your_ bags?"

The man smirked as well. "Funny, _kid_. But yeah, they do. I didn't do this…my bastard roommate did. Can't figure out how to take it off…" He trailed off, and Sora held back a laugh. How hard was it to take off a charm?

But then he registered all of the man's words. He had a roommate? It was kind of odd for a business man to have a roommate…didn't they usually have families? Or they were single… The elevator dinged—they had arrived at the fourth floor. The man led him to a door labeled 404, and much to Sora's surpise, he'd simply opened the door and walked in. What kind of person didn't lock their door?

"Leon! Hey, man! You're home early, don't you usually stop at the café for a coffee?" A redheaded man peeked out from the kitchen, grinning impishly when his bright green eyes landed on Sora. "And you brought a gift! I'm not into shotacon, but I'll make an exception for cutie over there!"

Sora blushed, surprised that a random stranger would say something like that to him. The man, Leon, rolled his eyes and tugged Sora by his bag to the kitchen. "Shut up, Axel. I didn't _bring_ him for anyone. Our bags got snagged together thanks to your stupid charm."

Axel smirked. "Then that means it worked! It's a pretty lucky charm." He came over to inspect the tangled charms, then gasped. "That's Jirachi, right? From Pokemon?" He asked, pointing to Sora's innocently dangling charm.

Sora blinked, not expecting that question. "Yeah…" He was just waiting for the "Aren't you too old for Pokemon?" question.

"I have the same one!"

Sora didn't expect _that_ either. "Really? I have Pikachu, too…more than just Pokemon actually…" Sora began, smiling.

"Yeah, same! Like I have a charm of _Bonta__-__kun_, and even a plushie…"

"From _FUMOFFU_? Me, too! I got mine from this shop downtown, and it was actually really cheap…"

"I know the one! My favorite manga came out down there too, for half the price it was at this other store! And—"

"What you two are saying is sounding a lot like some foreign language." Leon interrupted, pulling out some scissors.

Sora panicked. "No! Don't cut it! They don't have anymore Jirachi charms, and the string's too short to retie…" He frowned, covering the charm with his hands. Leon sighed tiredly; he really didn't feel like dealing with this.

"The kid's right, just do this." Axel moved Sora's hands, and went to work on the knot. Not a minute later, both bags were separated, and the charms were in pretty good shape.

"Thank you!" Sora smiled, untying the charm from his bag. He held it to his chest, then kissed it. "I guess I should keep it somewhere else for now…" The brunet thought for a moment, then fished through his pockets. He pulled out a blue flip-phone, many logos from different anime and manga littered the hard cover. From the phone hung an assortment of character charms and bells, big and small. He didn't hear the choked noise Leon made. "Oh…but I barely have room…" Sora pouted, going to work trying to fit the charm in the crowded space.

"Oh god…" Leon breathed, grabbing the counter as if to steady himself. "Don't tell me you…you're one of _them_…" Leon began to massage his temples, and Sora took this time to discreetly admire the man's slender, muscular figure.

"He means an otaku." Axel shook his head. "You'd think after having an otaku as a roommate, he'd warm up to our kind…"

"Hey…I take the word otaku to offence!" Sora pouted. "I just like anime and manga and games…a lot." He smiled.

"I like you, kid. What's your name?" Axel asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the refrigerator.

"Sora. You're Axel, right? And Leon?" He smiled to each respectively. "Nice to meet you both. I go to school not too far from here." Sora looked to Leon then. "I'm so sorry about this, by the way. I never thought something like that would happen to me…you usually only see stuff like that in—"

"Dating sims." Axel finished, and Sora looked up in surprise.

"Yeah…you play dating sims too, then?" Sora asked.

Axel nodded. "Usually though, either the girl gets taken to the guy's place and they do it, or the girl and guy just stay looking at eachother until they kiss and _then_ they do it."

Sora blushed, and couldn't help but look over at Leon. The man was shaking his head, as if he was used to Axel saying things like that (He probably _was_).

"Well, anyway…we're not exactly fit for company at the moment, so you should come back another time." Leon said, doing his best to keep his tone even. He wanted to settle down quietly after a long day of work, but didn't want to seem rude. The kid seemed nice despite being one of Axel's kind, and he didn't want to scare him too badly.

"O-oh! Sorry…don't let me disturb you! I'll take my leave now…thank you again!"

"Wait, Sora!" Axel ran to the door just as the brunet made to step out. "What's your number?"

Axel and Sora exchanged numbers, Leon fighting to keep down...something. He felt something stir in him when he watched Sora and Axel smile at one another. He didn't know what feeling it was, and he didn't exactly want to delve into it.

"Lucky, Leon! Snagging a kid like that on the street…or should I say, lucky for me? You don't seem too interested in him…" Axel spoke when he'd closed the door.

"I'm not interested in kids. If I get a partner I want them to be mature, like myself." Leon sighed, knowing it was useless to tell Axel that it wasn't any of his business. Leon gave another tired sigh, walking over to the refrigerator and getting the carton of milk. He took a glass from the cabinet, pouring himself some milk. "What was the purpose of getting his number?" Leon asked, sipping from his glass. Hopefully it hid his frown.

"No special reason. Don't you usually get numbers from people you like? I'm gonna invite him back soon, and maybe next time we can even play some _games_."

Leon didn't like the devilish smirk Axel tagged onto that. "No. Not here. Take the kid to a love hotel or something. But not here."

"You're such a cock-block." Axel stuck his tongue out and, after a little more teasing, retreated back into his room.

Leon didn't voice how he'd rather Axel not take the kid anywhere now that he thought about it. He wanted to know why he cared so much about this boy, when they'd only just met. Maybe it was bcause Sora was a nice kid, and he really didn't want to see the boy corrupted by Axel. But was it just because Sora was nice? Leon sighed tiredly, leaning back in his chair. He needed a nap, and maybe a drink.


	2. Chapter 2

**;-; Yes, I know. I'm terrible. But I won't go into that. This was supposed to be longer, but I didn't want to delay anymore. Sooo...here you are. enjoy, apologies again. 3s to those who stuck beside this, and are still sticking. ;3**

* * *

Leon sighed tiredly, rubbing at his shoulder and neck with the hand that wasn't holding his briefcase. Work had been hard and demanding today, and he'd loosened his tie before he even got on the train. That alone was an indication that he was pretty worn out.

So when Leon got to his apartment building, he was completely ready to crash in his bedroom, and be in as much peace as possible with Axel as a roommate.

He wasn't ready for the brunet standing at his door, self-consciously holding a messenger bag to his chest. Leon sighed, wondering briefly if just walking away would make the boy leave.

"Sora, right?"

Said brunet seemed to nearly jump out of his own skin, almost dropping his bag. "L-Leon! Hi…I came to see Axel, since he invited me today…but he hasn't answered after almost ten minutes of knocking. I thought I somehow had the wrong place…"

Leon acted as though the sheepish smile on the blue-eyed boy's face wasn't endearing, and heaved a tired sigh. "He's probably listening to music on his mp3…hold on." Leon fished the keys out of his pocket. He nodded at Sora's breathless "Thank you!" and unlocked the door. "You come on the one day the door is actually locked…if you weren't sure, why didn't you go home?" Leon asked as he pushed the door open.

"Took the train here. I didn't feel like walking all the way back, since the bus isn't due back for another hour…" Sora's earlier shyness seemed to wear off now that he knew he was in the right place. Leon chuckled quietly at that.

"Hey, Leon! You seen—" Axel came in the living room, headphones slung around his neck. His eyes landed on the blue-eyed boy. "Sora! Holy shit, I completely forgot…I was listening out before, but I got distracted and—"

"It's fine, don't worry. I wasn't there long, and Leon was here to let me in!" Sora smiled warmly at Axel, then at Leon. "Thank you again."

Before Leon could even give the boy a proper grunt of acknowledgement, Axel tugged Sora off toward his room. "I got this awesome game to show you!"

Leon shook his head with a chuckle, dropping his briefcase and suit jacket off in a chair near the door. 'Axel's always looking for a sex buddy of some type…I hope that kid's alright in there'. Leon cast a definitely not-worried glance at the door. If Leon heard anything suspicious, he would just happen to need to borrow something from Axel's room at that time, like a pencil or a blank CD. Not to see what they were doing, or to check on Sora of course. Because Leon didn't care about Sora, didn't even like the brunet otaku.

So why was he so uneasy? Why did that honest, sweet smile keep flashing through his mind?

**x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x.x**

"Hey, Axel?" Sora spoke suddenly, looking up from his spot on the bed to where Axel was at the computer on the desk. The two of them were playing an MMO; Sora on the laptop, and Axel on the desktop computer.

"Yeah? Oh, heal first. Health's below twenty," Axel warned, casting a fire spell and thus killing one of the ogres surrounding them.

Sora healed, then smiled. "Thanks. Anyway, I was wondering about Leon…oh, there's a Flying Pig right behind you." Sora and Axel made quick work of the creature before Sora continued. "Why is he…like that?"

"You mean why is there a stick eternally lodged in the orifice between his two ass cheeks?" Axel smirked, leading their party to another area.

"Well…something like that," Sora laughed.

"Because," The redhead took a drink of his melon flavored Ramune. "That's just the way he is. Life wasn't easy on him…say, why the sudden interest in dear old Leon?"

Sora almost missed the slightly bitter tone of Axel's question. "Nothing…usually when someone's mean to you, you wonder why they're like that and what made them that way." He said, healing Axel's character.

"Thanks. And yeah, I get what you mean…hey, you wanna play another game?"

"What game?" Sora asked curiously, switching his game off when Axel did so.

The redhead stood, walking over to the bed and plopping down. Much to Sora's surprise, Axel leaned back until his head was in the brunet's lap. "Let's play…I dunno. Tell me about yourself." Axel grinned.

Sora laughed. "That's not a game."

"It's not? Oh well, let's do it anyway."

Sora shook his head with a smile. "Okay…not much about me to tell…uh, I'm in high school. I'm seventeen…my favorite color is blue. And red," He added, ruffling Axel's spiky locks. There was a grumbled "Watch the hair…" that made Sora chuckle before continuing. "Hm…that's it, I guess."

"Not gonna tell me about your family?" Axel asked.

"Not much to tell…I live with my mom. She's the one that got me hooked onto games and anime. She plays a lot of dating sims, which is why I like them…'cause she had me play them too when I was younger."

Axel snorted. "Not lax at all is she?"

"Not really." Sora chuckled. "I do the cooking and cleaning mostly, but sometimes we take turns. She works a lot now, so she can't be around like she used to."

"Oh. Sorry, kid." Axel frowned, then reached up and ruffled Sora's hair with a slight smile. "Well, I guess it's my turn now. Twenty three, favorite colors are red and green...blue now. I work in a manga cafe. And before you ask," Axel added, when Sora perked up. "You have to be eighteen or older to work there."

"Darn." Sora sighed, then smiled. "Do I at least get free coffee or something?"

Axel snorted. "Even I can't get free drinks. And I work there, so I don't think you getting something free will be happening. Of course, it's different if I pay for it for you instead..."

"Yes! Momoko was so cute in her Season Two outfit…"

Leon sighed.

"More like _hot_! I'd pound her so hard! They had that ending originally available normally, but unless you got one of the first ten copies then it's a nearly impossible to get unlockable."

"I-I have the seventh official copy…"

Leon couldn't take much more of this. He refilled his coffee cup, rolling his eyes. "Are you two freaks going to continue this…thing?"

"What do you mean, 'thing'?" Axel asked, not at all put off by being called a freak. Sora, on the other hand, looked a little hurt.

Leon didn't know why he was being so hostile lately, especially toward Sora, but…well, he chalked it up to stress, bills, and work. He wasn't jealous or anything.

"Whatever." Axel had apparently grown tired of waiting for Leon's reply. "Oh yeah, Sora! You left your Magical Girl Mizumi here yesterday! I'll go get it." Sora nodded, and Axel disappeared into the dark confines of his room.

_Cue the awkward silence,_ Leon thought, never taking his eyes off of the bowl of sugar cubes (and soon realizing, much to his distaste, that he'd forgotten to put any in).

"So…um."

"If you want to speak to me in Freakanese, I only have knowledge of English." It came before he could stop himself.

"That is _it_! I am so tired of you thinking I'm just this different species of human because I like something not everyone else does! I…already get it from school, I don't need it from you…" His tone grew weaker by the time he'd finished.

"…Sorry. It just…it gets annoying, you know? Hearing it all the time. But heaven forbid I bring up spreadsheets; he tunes me out."

Sora nodded, smiling a bit. "I understand…you just want someone to listen to you, too." He said, then tilted his head. "How about…coffee? Tomorrow? You can talk to me about spreadsheets." Without even waiting for a response, Sora smiled and left.

"Hey, So—huh? Where's Sora?" Axel was holding a box of pocky and a game case. "I didn't even give him his game…"

Leon wasn't listening, his coffee cup still at his lips despite being empty.

_I didn't even agree…_


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there! It's been forever, right? Thanks for everyone that sticks with this! Really, thank you! I squeal over every author and story favorite, every review, every alert! I'm sorry this is so short, and sorry that I keep changing formats and writing styles! If anyone could tell me which out of the three chapters they feel is better written (or if you like all three, that's alright too), I would appreciate it! I want to improve and write better, but it's hard to find good feedback! Anyway, here's the story xD**

* * *

More and more teenagers were starting to drink coffee. Leon, for the first time ever, felt very out of his element as he sat in the small corner cafe, waiting for Sora to meet him. Teenagers at the tables, teenagers serving those teenagers. Since when did he feel like an intruder at the cafe he'd been going to since before half of the current inhabitants were born?

Sora didn't seem like a coffee drinker. Tea, perhaps, but only on occasion. Juice, now that was more like it. Something sugary, energy-inducing. Sodas, flavored water...maybe even fruity alcohol when he got old enough. But Sora was too vibrant, too bright to be intaking a beverage that people normally resorted to when they were almost burnt out, running on empty. He couldn't see Sora drinking something as adult as coffee. And he couldn't see the teen drinking it just for the caffeene boost; he surely didn't need it.

But, Leon was putting _way_ too much thought into that. The brunet sighed, as if he could somehow clear out thoughts of the boy as he did the oxygen in his lungs. He let his grey eyes fall back to the paper in his hands. _Stock Market Falls by 15%, Murderer Still at Large_...nothing new, nothing of interest. Until his eyes caught a smaller, bolded sentence.

**_Rinoa Heartilly-A Star on the Rise!_**

Leon caught himself staring at the picture for a long moment, memories flooding his mind. Rinoa...that name stayed with him, even to this day.

He'd barely folded the newspaper, her picture on the inside, when the chair beside him was pulled out. "Sorry I'm late!"

Leon rolled his eyes, "It's just like you teens; no sense of time."

Sora smiled good-naturedly, apparently already used to Leon's slightly condiscending nature. "Just like an old man to get grumpy over everything." He retorted, with no hint of malice. "Did you order without me?" When Leon shook his head, Sora smiled even wider then.

As if on cue, a red headded teen girl practically bounced over, with all the energy of an excited chihuahua. "Good evening! Brought a friend, Sora?" She asked, grin bright and blinding. Of course she would be a friend of Sora's.

"Yep! His name's Leon, he's an old business man," Leon was sure that it was said to get a rise out of him.

"Good evening, Leon! I'm Kairi, Sora's friend." She held her hand out. Leon shook it awkwardly, offering his best semi-smile.

Why was he even here? Why was Leon here right now, sitting in some teen-overrun cafe and doing his best to bite back snarls like a muzzled lion?

It was that smile. When he flashed that dazzling smile and batted those eyelashes...Leon sighed, busying himself with observing details in the floor's tiling. He felt so...insecure. Which was a stupid thought he wouldn't even bother to entertain; why should he feel insecure around people who probably made less than a fourth of his paycheck?

"I'll have a house-style Chai, and he'll have a coffee with a ton of cream and sugar and cinnamon and sprinkles!" It sounded like such a childish notion, Leon was surprised to see the absolute seriousness in Sora's face.

"...Sprinkles?" He repeated, incredulous.

"Yeah!"

Leon stared. "Who puts...sprinkles in coffee?"

"I do!" He defended, a slight glare. "Is that bad?"

"No," Leon replied simply, opening the newspaper again (and strategically skipping Rinoa's picture). "Do what you want. I won't drink it if it's too sweet."

He could see Sora stick his tongue out past the edge of the newspaper, and was relieved that it hid his smile. He had to admit...being around such young, happy energy like this was refreshing. Then again, it also made him feel like a pedophile, but that was beside the point.

"How was work?" Sora suddenly spoke, after a long moment of silence. Leon had been lost in the value of stocks, so when he looked up he was surprised to see Sora studiously scribbling at his homework on the table, a calculus book on his lap.

When he realized the question, he was dumbfounded. No one had asked him such a question in a long time...not even Axel, who was either out or in his room whenever Leon came home. It took him a while before he could formulate a reply. "It was fine." It felt wrong to leave the conversation as such (though Sora didn't seem like he would have outwardly said so), so Leon quickly added, "How was...school?"

"Boring." Sora pouted, but shook his head. "It was okay. Kairi and Riku and me all went to the roof for lunch. It was our first time since we were there, and everyone always talks about how cool it is. Well, we went up there, and it started raining!" The pencil was from his hands now, and all his attention was on Leon and properly conveying the story.

Leon, too, had folded his newspaper and leaned back a bit, listening to the boy.

"So, Riku was all like, 'Damn! I shoulda brought an umbrella!' And Kairi was like, 'Who brings an umbrella to lunch anyway, stupid!' So Riku got mad and splashed her, but she was already wet! I laughed because she pushed him into a puddle, and they _both_ganged up on me! It took all day for my stuff to dry!"

Leon was amazed with how animated of a talker Sora was. He used his hands, his face, his whole body to say something. It was...amazing. Leon felt himself smiling before he knew it. He couldn't have stopped himself anyway, not when he saw how Sora's face lit up like a christmas tree.

"Is this the roof story?" Kairi smiled as she sat down their mugs. "It only just happened, Sora!"

"Yeah, but it was funny!" Sora took his mug, blowing on the drink. "Besides, he asked how my day was."

Kairi laughed. "I'm so sorry, Leon. I should have warned you about asking him that...let him keep talking, and you'll somehow end up talking about the goldfish he got for his third birthday. If you need to shut him up, just flick him on the nose." Kairi did so, as an example.

"Ow!" Sora frowned, holding his nose. "I wasn't talking!"

"Warning." Was her explaination. After the two had a good laugh, she waved and went on her way.

"You see how mean she is?" Sora was smiling too brightly to be taken seriously. "Anyway...she's right, I do talk a lot."

"I noticed." Leon picked up his coffee and drank a cautious sip-it was a wonder that it hadn't gone cold.

What was also a wonder was how good the coffee tasted. The little colorful sprinkles had melted into dabbles of red and pink and blue and green, visible in the cream. And the cream morphed the beverage into something smooth and rich and creamy-not that his usual coffe was bad, but this...this was good.

"It's alright," Leon said finally, seeing the anticipation on the young brunet's face. "I suppose."

Sora grinned, "I knew you would like it!" He began to drink his own Chai tea, eyes closed against the steam that rose to his face. Drinking it made his cheeks and nose red, Leon noticed. Was he like that with all hot beverages? He looked down at his coffee when Sora parted from the mug, not wanting to be caught staring.

He was acutely aware of how he was acting like a stupid schoolgirl, but this boy was just so...

"You know, sometimes when I drink tea I feel like Ciel Phantomhive or something. From Black Butler, you know?"

...This boy was just so _strange_.

"Ciel _who_?" Leon asked, eyebrow raised. "From...Black what?"

"It's an anime!" Sora looked offended. "You...don't get out much, do you?" It was more a statement than anything.

"Says you. Anyone that gets out at all wouldn't have time to memorize all of that stupid crap." Leon snapped, a bit offended himself. So what he didn't know a little about some stupid cartoons!

"Hm..." Sora was smirking now, even with the mouth of the mug pressed against his lips. "You're jealous."

The accusation was preposterous to Leon. "Jealous? Of what, pray tell."

"Of me! For knowing more than you about something."

...Sora was right. Leon stared for a moment, shocked. Is that what it really was? All of his misguided hate for that type of person? Just...petty jealousy?

...No. No, of course not.

"Yes, I'm so very jealous you know more than me about cartoons." He rolled his eyes, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"I know." It was amazing how Sora could smile after being verbally attacked so brutally. But he was smiling, sipping from his drink. "Same time tomorrow?"

Leon wasn't very keen on being blown off like a little child having a tantrum, but accepted the change of topic. "...If I'm off work by then."

"Give me your number so I can text. I promise I'll only text in the afternoon, to check if you're coming." He added the last bit at Leon's raised eyebrow.

The older man begrudgingly (or so it seemed) handed over his business card, watching Sora plug in the information. "Okay! I'll see you later." He smiled, packing his bag. "I had fun today."

Leon watched him leave, staring after him for a long while. His coffee was cold by the time he touched it again.

"I'll heat it up for you." He didn't expect Kairi to be at his table.

"N-no, that's fine..." He was embarrassed now, sure she had seen him stare.

"You can take it home. Sora would be happy if I told him you did," It was like she knew that those words would make him reconsider.

"...Fine." He glared down at the wooden texture of the table.

"You like him?" Kairi must have passed the mug to someone else to take care of, because she was sitting before him empty-handed. "A lot of people do. Why wouldn't you? He's handsome, sweet, caring...he tries his hardest at everything and gives everyone a chance. Even if he is kinda stupid sometimes."

"He's...one of those anime obsessed people," Leon added, despite the fact that he knew he would be confirming her suspicions.

"And? If you really like someone, you should see past that. Really. He's a nice kid, and he likes you."

Why was talking to Kairi feeling like talking to someone twenty years his elder? She was surprisingly wise for her youth. "We wouldn't work, if I did decide to humor something as juvenile as this."

"If you keep telling yourself it won't work, then it won't work. All I have to say is, hurry up if you're gonna do something. He's not gonna always be there, if you get what I mean. Someone else is in your same mindset." Kairi stood and began wiping the table suddenly, and Leon was confused as to why until he saw a man with a cap and a notepad leaving the employees' room; he was probably the manager.

"What do you mean?" Leon was a confused, and the way Kairi shook her head made him feel like a stupid six year old.

"Someone else likes him. A lot. Maybe even loves him. And he's got about sixteen years of history over you." Kairi looked at him, face all seriousness. "He's gonna make his move soon. I'm warning you because I like you. And I see how you look at him. He'll be eighteen in about seven months." With that she went to the coffee bar, coming back a few short moments later with his coffee in a disposable travel mug. "Here you go."

Leon took it. "Thank you. ...You know, for that." She'd definitely given him quite an insight, and his mind was still reeling.

His feet were on autopilot, taking him home. He had so much to think about, all sprung on him so fast. He liked Sora, and so did someone else. Sora liked him, at least as a conversational partner, and... Leon sighed. Why did he like Sora so much?

It wasn't even a question. He was just so much like _her_; the warmth in his eyes (though they were a different color from hers), his brightness, his smile...is that what this was going to be? Him chasing after a ghost of the past and what could have been?

_"I see how you look at him." _Kairi's voice echoed in his head. Did she really see how he looked at Sora? Or was she seeing how he looked at...

Leon didn't want to think about it anymore. He finally got to his apartment, not even bothering to undress when he got in. He flopped onto the bed, kicking his shoes off and pulling off his tie. He downed the rest of the not-quite lukewarm coffee, setting the empty cup on the nightstand before he lost himself in deep, dreamless sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**It's been a loong time! I'm making it a point to update some stories now before I edit anything! Thanks for everyone that sticks with this! I'm back with new inspiration and plans for this story, so I expect to write a lot more! I hate how rushed this is, but I don't have much time with finals basically here xD Hope you guys enjoy! 3 Also, sorry for how...talky this chap is!**

**...Does anyone even read this anymore? ;n;**

* * *

'_You're a grown man,_' Leon reminded himself once again. _'This shouldn't intimidate you. Just pick it up, type it out, and be done with it.'_

Even so…he glanced back at the phone in his hand, before dropping it on the bed as though it were poisonous. The little white screen was brightly lit, and he didn't have to read the words on it again to remember what they said.

_Will you be off of work in time to hang out with me again?_

And Leon was at a loss for how to reply. He was, in fact, off of work early today. He could hang out with Sora, if he wanted to.

Which he did.

But…how could he say that? How could he openly admit not only to himself, but to Sora, that he wanted to spend his rare free afternoon with a teenager, listening to him ramble about _anime_ of all things. It was just odd!

He picked up the phone again, squinting at it. Leon was frustrated, and rightfully so! What gave this boy the right to shake up Leon's life like this? Never the less, he began punching in letters.

_Sorry, something came up. Maybe another time._

He hit 'send' before he could doubt himself. This was for the best…he couldn't continue on like this. His life, his job…it wasn't worth sacrificing for some fling with a high school boy. He flipped his phone closed, throwing it over to the side.

"Yo." Axel strode past the door, backtracking moments later to find Leon, face buried in pillows. His phone was vibrating, and Leon was making no move to get it. "The hell happened to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

Axel shrugged, sitting on the edge of Leon's bed…uninvited, as usual. "Sora's coming over today, heads up."

Leon shot up in bed. "What?! Why?"

Axel was surprised at that reaction. "He's bringing his games."

Leon burrowed beneath the blankets. "I'm not here. If I am here, I'm sick."

Axel raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. "Sure, whatever. Hope you don't plan on sleeping, though! We might make noise." He grinned devilishly, and Leon fought the urge to gag.

"Thanks for telling me," He replied dryly, rolling his eyes at Axel's chuckle.

"You should try it sometime! You know, having fun…getting laid."

"He's seventeen."

"But he won't be seventeen forever! I'm patient. And it's not like I can't call someone else while I wait."

Leon didn't get to reply, interrupted by the doorbell.

He could hear Axel opening the door, could hear him greeting whoever it was excitedly. And then,

"_Yeah, it's been a long time…I missed you, Axel! Is…is Leon…is Leon home?"_

Leon's body went cold, his face pale, and his hands began to shake.

"Huh? Oh, ye—er….he's sick. I…think he might wanna see this. I mean you. I'll…check!"

Axel came in, grinning. "Guess who just came by!"

"Tell her to leave."

Axel's grin fell slightly. "But Leon, it's—"

"I know who it is!" He thundered. When the echo subsided he frowned, ashamed with himself for taking such a tone. "Tell her…to leave. Please."

"Leon…at least tell me yourself? So I can hear your voice again."

Leon stiffened, looking away. "Rinoa."

He couldn't look. He shouldn't look. He wouldn't look. But he did look, and she was just as stunning as she'd always been, even in high school. She didn't look a day aged, cheeks still rosy and lips still pink and hair still silky and shining…it hurt just looking at her.

"Leon." She smiled. "I missed you…it's been six years."

"Seven." He corrected harshly.

"Right," She agreed, still smiling despite his tone. "Seven…you haven't changed, it looks."

"Same to you."

Rinoa's smile faltered only a moment, before she looked down sheepishly at her fingers. "It was…selfish of me to come here, I know…but, Leon, I miss you. I know you're still upset, but…well, nevermind that. I'll come back soon, as soon as I get a break, and see you again. I still remember our promise…when I hit national status, we're supposed to have a party, remember? I'm almost there."

His fingertips burned. He wanted to touch her so badly, but he just couldn't. He stayed quiet.

"You don't have to answer. Just know that I—"

"_Hellooo? Anyone home?"_

Leon ripped his eyes away from her, meeting bright blue.

"Leon! I didn't expect to see you here! Sorry, Axel told me to just let myself in if you were busy—oh…sorry. Did I…?"

Rinoa breathed a harsh sigh, breaking the thick tension in the room. She smiled warmly. "No, not at all. I was just leaving."

"Oh…hey! I know who you are! How cool, Leon! You know celebrities!"

"You know about normal things?" Leon couldn't help the quip.

Sora pouted, sticking out his tongue. "I'm not a hermit!"

Rinoa chuckled. "I'll see you, Leon…remember what I said. And…"

"Sora." Sora offered his name, and Leon could tell by his tone that he was confused.

"Sora. I'll see you, too." And she was gone as fast as she'd come.

Leon stumbled back until he was sitting on the bed.

"Are you okay?" Sora asked, frowning.

"Oh, Sora. Hey." Axel returned. Where he'd gone, Leon had no clue.

"Hey!"

They began their chatter. Leon sighed, laying back in bed and pulling the covers over his face.

"I guess we should go. Come to my room! I have stuff to show you."

Leon tried to keep his mind off of how Sora didn't ask another question about Leon's wellbeing, and how excited he was to go off with Axel. He kept his mind from Rinoa, from high school, from empty promises and unrequited love until his mind wandered into blackness.

He fell asleep with the dampness of a single tear on his cheek.


End file.
